Return to Camelot
by lonesorceress2209
Summary: The sister of Nimueh is looking for revenge, Merlin saves the life of a mystery girl, and she knows his secret. Will Arthur find out? And who is the mysterious girl? Will she be Merlin's undoing or his salvation? R&R to find out! Chap. 6 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

In the time of the Old World, there was a kingdom. It was not your ordinary kingdom, however. It was a kingdom ruled by a just and gracious king. A king, who in the time of the New World, would only be known as a legend, a fairytale, a myth. Yet it is not the duty of this work to relate the life of this great monarch, Arthur Pendragon, for his story is one that is already well known. No, I turn instead to the life of another great man, one who helped Arthur to become the king of legend. A warlock of great power, Merlin.

What one must understand is that during the reign of Arthur, the land was full of warlocks, witches and sorcerers. It was so even before Arthur became king of Camelot, during the reign of his father, Uther Pendragon and even so before his reign. Magic was the basis of the world, for the earth has a delicate balance, and that balance must be kept. These warlocks were the keepers of that balance, yet they all were different from Merlin. They had to learn magic, whereas he had natural gifts. No one is quite sure why he was born with these gifts, but many had their suspicions that he was destined for great things…

Lily Crest set aside the book she was reading and rubbed her tired eyes. College was killing her, well not literally. She had recently taken an interest in the legend of Camelot when the subject came up in her literature class. Her professor, noticing her interest, had loaned Lily a book titled, _The Magic of Camelot: The Myths of Merlin_. It talked about the one thing Lily was more interested in than any other subject she had studied…Magic.

Lily glanced at the clock on her table next to her tiny, standard dorm room size bed and bolted out of her desk chair. It couldn't be eleven-thirty already, because if it was then she was running late for the ceremony. She scrambled around the room searching for her medieval style, full length white dress and brown leather boots, letting her mind wander to the unanswered questions about her life. She had grown up in an orphanage, where she stayed briefly with many foster families, but had not actually found a family that had wanted her until she met the Crests. They understood her where others did not, and they taught her that the things she caused to happen accidentally, which is the reason the other families had not kept her long, was actually a result of her magical abilities.

Colin and Jade Crest taught Lily how to control her magic and use it for helping others secretly. They had also put her through school and when she enrolled in college, her brilliant adoptive parents had taught her how to tell the difference between those in her classes who were fellow witches and those that were not. That is how Lily had come to be a part of the Courtier Coven. It was a secret coven that met in the basement of the British university that they all attended. Only women were allowed to join, and Lily had had a rough time trying to get them to trust her enough to let her be inducted into their midst. But once they had seen her use magic without incantations or spells, they immediately took her under their wing, and seeing as the Coven Mother graduated from the university the previous year, and Lily was a senior, the covenants had voted her to take over. That was what the meeting was about tonight, the Ceremony of the Oaths, her coronation as Coven Mother.

Lily pushed aside her renewed feeling of nervousness as she dug under her bed and pulled out her boots. She shoved them onto her feet and rushed from her dorm, stopping briefly to check her reflection in the mirror. She ran across the campus lawns as lightning flashed in the sky and thunder rolled among the clouds, trying to make it to the main building before it started raining. She reached the stairs that led to the outside entrance of the basement just as the first drizzle began to fall, and quickly opened the door and ran inside as it started to rain harder. _What a perfect night for my coronation,_ she thought sarcastically to herself as she trod quietly down the damp, murky hallway that led to the coven's quarters. The lights flickered for a moment before going out completely, stopping Lily in her tracks. "Damn," she whispered, "Ignis lavitana palmaras." A glowing ball of red light appeared in her hand and cast eerie shadows along the walls and floor of the hall as it grew brighter to show her the way.

She reached the door to the basement and heard chanting on the other side of it. As she opened the door, the chanting grew faster and became slightly less clear as if the speaker were hurrying to finish the spell before being seen. Upon entering the room, she noticed it was empty. No one was there, not a single covenant was to be seen. This worried Lily. It wasn't like the covenants to miss something as important as this or to not be on time. She was the only one who ever had any trouble showing up on time, but then she didn't have to practice any spells like they did. She knew a whole different language of spells that they didn't, which is why they wanted her as Coven Mother. _And now they don't show up for my coronation! I can't do the Ceremony of Oaths alone! _She thought this as she absentmindedly walked about the room and then stood in the center of the circle. _This circle brings to mind King Arthur's round table,_ she began reciting to herself the speech she had prepared for the end of the coronation. _Everyone who sits here is an equal to each other. None of us are any more important than the others. We protect each other and help each other. We do not betray one another, for the penalty of betrayal would be worse than death. No one is to know about us; we must live in secret to protect what we do here. People are afraid of magic, because it is the unknown, so we should keep it as unknown to them as possible. As your chosen Coven Mother, I will protect you; help you to the best of my ability. I will never betray you, and I will keep the secret of what we do from all outsiders. You have my oath to do as I have spoken. Will you accept me as your leader, your friend, your Coven Mother?_

It was always customary for the Coven Mother to give some sort of speech, and Lily thought that none of the members had ever heard the likes of the one she had planned for them, but none of them were ever to hear it. Unbeknownst to her, all of her covenants had been placed under an enchantment. They were all in their respective dorms fast asleep so as to miss the Ceremony of Oaths. She stood a few moments longer in the center of the circle that had been carved into the wooden floor of the room years ago, probably when the first members of the coven met for the first time. The history of the coven had always been somewhat vague, as no one was sure who the first covenants were or why they decided to start the coven in the first place. Lily dropped to the floor where she had been standing in the center of the circle and then lay down with each limb pointing to one of the four corners. _North, South, East and West, _she thought. _Earth, Air, Fire and Water._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a female voice singing quietly, and wanting to know who it was before they burst in on her, still lying down in the circle, she whispered a quick spell using the common language of the other covenants. "Quiet words from far away, by the gods I do say, become clear and let me hear." She gasped as she heard the words as clear as if the person were standing next to her. It was in the Old Language and the words terrified her as she mentally translated them to English.

The Lost Child I seek,

Who knows not the prophecy.

In the circle she shall stay,

Till the dawning of the day.

Where transported she shall be,

Back to her home, sent to me.

From her time where she is Sworn,

Bring her back to where she was born.

Lily heard the woman laugh maniacally before there was no sound in the room at all. The singing had stopped just as abruptly as it had started. She tried to sit up and realized that she couldn't move at all. It was as if she had lain down in super glue and let it dry, pinning her down to the spot. Then realization dawned on her. The woman's song was about her. She glanced at the window trying to see the position of the moon. _Ok, _she thought, _it's about five-thirty in the morning now and the song said till the dawning of the day which would be six because the sun begins to rise then. So I have to wait a half hour before I can move._

As she was planning her escape, another voice echoed on the air singing a different song, still in the Old Language, yet with urgency as if the person were trying to beat the sunrise.

Release the child from her bonds,

And send her to those, of her, shall be fond.

To the summoner, send her not,

Protect her instead in Camelot.

Send her there without delay,

Before the dawning of the day.

The voice stopped, and Lily realizing she could move again, got onto her feet. No longer than two seconds after she stood, she felt a shudder under her, and she realized the floor was breaking apart. The walls of the room began to shake as well and looked as though they might fall in on her. She tried to keep her footing and run. She wanted to run from it all; she didn't want to go wherever these people wanted her to, although she figured that if they tried it once, they would try it again. _And the second woman talked of protection, and she released the hold that other woman placed on me._ The floor in the very center of the circle gave way and she fell, screaming, down the hole that had appeared where her precious circle used to be. Pieces of debris fell with her, and she watched as it went past her. She stopped screaming long enough to listen intently to hear if any of it hit the bottom. None did, and she started screaming again.

It wasn't long after she started screaming again, that her momentum from falling lessened and she almost felt as if she were a feather floating down from the air. That was until she hit the tree and went straight through all of the branches, which caught on her dress and hair, leaving the cloth tattered and the strands of fiery, red hair matted and tangled. Lily cried out as she saw the ground coming ever closer, and shut her eyes, preparing herself for the impact. It never came. She gingerly opened one eye and then the other. She was floating about a foot from the ground. _But I didn't cast a spell,_ she thought, mesmerized at the fact she hadn't been squashed to a pulp on the ground. Suddenly, the barrier that had kept her from hitting the moss covered earth disappeared, and she fell onto it with a loud "Ouch!"

"Are you okay?" Lily looked up to see who had spoken, and a man around her age with messy black hair and startling blue eyes appeared from behind a tree. Lily's mind went blank when she saw what he was wearing. He donned brown leather pants, a blue tunic, a brown jacket, and a red neckerchief, complete with brown leather boots. It seemed to her that she had just stepped out of the real world and onto the page of one of the books she read so much about the Arthurian Age. Then something else dawned on her.

"You…you saved…my life..."

"Yeah, I guess I did." He looked genuinely concerned for her well-being as he studied the cuts on her face and arms. "Looks like you have a few minor cuts, but nothing major. I'm Merlin, by the way."

"Merlin?!" She didn't mean to blurt it out like that, but the shock of hearing the very name she had read about only a few hours before was too much. He stared at her for a moment, seemingly trying to assess the woman in front of him. She seemed familiar to him in a way.

"Yes, erm…you seem familiar to me. Have we met before?"

"No, I don't think we have. So you're the all powerful warlock then? I imagined you to be older. It's how all the stories and books portray you, well the ones where I'm from do. I dunno about the ones here." This caught Merlin off his guard.

"How do you know what I am?" His eyes flashed gold for a brief second, as he became angry with this woman. _How does she know who I am when I haven't told anyone but Gaius and Morgana about my gift?_

"It's not hard to spot a fellow sorcerer, you know. Besides, the stopping me from falling a foot from the ground didn't make it any harder to spot." Merlin softened at these words. She too was a magic user, and he had saved her life. Gaius was not going to be pleased that he was bringing home yet another stray. The last one had been Lancelot, and that situation hadn't gone exactly according to plan. The girl stood and swayed. Merlin steadied her with his arm behind her back.

"Do you think you can walk? Camelot is not far from here. I'll take you to the Court Physician, Gaius. He will make sure you are not suffering from anything worse than those cuts."

"I think I can manage a walk. Thank you, Merlin, for all your help. I really appreciate this."

"It's no problem at all, erm…"

"Lily. Lily Crest. Sorry I guess I could have mentioned that before."

"It's alright," he replied, and as he did, she fainted. He caught her, and picked her up. He would just have to carry her to Gaius' place. It wasn't so bad, though. The girl felt as if she didn't weigh much more than a feather.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Gaius looked up as the door to his chambers burst open, and was not surprised to see his ward, Merlin come through them. What he did not expect, was that Merlin would be carrying an unconscious girl. "What happened, Merlin," he asked as he rushed to help his ward with the girl.

"I'm not exactly sure, Gaius. One minute I was getting the herbs you asked for and the next I saw her falling from a tree. I saved her. But there's more. She knew me for what I am. She knows I'm a warlock, Gaius." The old man stared at the boy in front of him, clearly stunned at the information he had just revealed. Merlin laid Lily on the bed reserved for patients, still staring at her, mystified. "She said she was a sorceress. I didn't know what else to do, so I brought her here. She just sort of passed out on me. She was just talking to me as though she was fine, and I didn't see any major injuries, so I assumed she was okay, but then she just collapsed. It all happened so fast, I didn't even have time to think."

"Calm down, Merlin. She will be fine. Her injuries are minor. She just seems to be exhausted. We should let her rest, but I need to know exactly what happened out there." They sat on the wooden bench, and Merlin recounted the events of the day. He didn't hold back any information, except for the bit where he had seemed to have a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was amiss about this girl and her strange arrival. The fact that it took place dreadfully close to the anniversary of Nimueh's death played out over and over in his mind. It was all too coincidental for him to even consider them not being linked together somehow, but then again maybe he was just getting paranoid.

Merlin watched as Gaius treated the minor cuts that seemed to cover every bare inch of skin on the girl. Suddenly, Gaius stopped and gasped, causing Merlin to jump up from where he sat and come to the side of the bed. "What is it, Gaius? What's wrong?" The old man only pointed to the girl's face. Merlin looked down at her features, but found no difference in what they were when he had brought the girl to their chambers. "What? Gaius, talk to me. Tell me what is wrong."

"I know this girl, and I am not the only one who does."

"How and who else knows her?"

"Merlin, when you met her, did she tell you her name?"

"Yes, Lily Crest."

"That's what I thought. Do you recognize her, Merlin?"

"No. Gaius what is going on?"

"She is the lost child of Lord and Lady Crestfall."

"The lost…Gaius, how can you know that? She disappeared when she was a baby. No one would know what she looks like at this age."

"That is where you are wrong, Merlin. Look here." He pointed to a spot just above her ear. At first, Merlin saw nothing, but as he looked closer, he noticed a mark just below the hairline. It was shaped like a crescent moon.

"Gaius, what does the mark stand for?"

"It is the symbol of the Crestfall family, Merlin. Each member of the family has that symbol burned into his or her flesh when they are born. Those who marry a member of the family usually do the same. It is always found just above the ear, below the hairline. It is how they know for sure that a person is part of their family."

"So what happened to her? Why did she just disappear?"

"As you said, she is a sorceress. Her parents did not wish to see their daughter suffer at the hands of Uther when he banned magic twenty years ago, so they sent her away."

"But she can't be any older than me, Gaius. How could she have been a sorceress at so young an age?" Gaius just stared at him as if the answer was obvious, but when Merlin still looked confused, he said, "Sometimes I wonder if you even have a brain, Merlin. Obviously, she was born with the gift of magic. I would think you of all people would have guessed that."

Merlin pondered on that information for a moment. _She was born with the gift of magic, _he thought. _Which means she's like me._ The only other person he had ever met that used magic like him had been Nimueh, and that last meeting had turned out bad for her. The door to the physician's quarters opened, drawing Merlin from his thoughts.

"Merlin, I know I gave you the day off, but…"Arthur's sentence was cut off when he saw Merlin and Gaius standing over an unconscious girl lying on the bed that Gaius used for patients. "Who is this and what happened to her?"

"Her name is Lily, sire. She is the lost child of Lord and Lady Crestfall. We are not sure what happened to her, seeing as she hasn't woken up yet. Merlin found her this morning whilst gathering some herbs for me."

"The lost child…" Merlin could see that Arthur was thinking hard about this girl. He could almost imagine little wheels turning inside the prince's head, and he was afraid. Had Arthur heard rumors that Lily was a sorceress? Merlin didn't want to even think about what would happen to her if he did know. "Gaius, how can you be sure that's who she is?"

"Look here, sire. This mark here above her ear, just below the hairline. It's the symbol of the family Crestfall."

"Yes, I see. Well, my father must know she is here. He will want to contact her parents and I am sure they will want to see her after being separated from her for so long. They had given up hope that she was still alive years ago. Seems all was not as lost as everyone thought. I imagine she has quite a story to tell."

"Yes, sire. The king should be notified at once of her presence. Merlin, stay here with her. I shall tell Uther myself." He hurried out of the room, leaving Arthur, Merlin and Lily alone.

"She's very beautiful, is she not?" Arthur's words brought Merlin from his thoughts, where he had been pondering how to keep her from telling anyone she was a sorceress while in Camelot. It could be very dangerous for her and the way she had just blurted it out in the forest made him terrified for her. Merlin ignored the prince's comment.

"You came to ask me something, sire."

"Erm…Yes. It's alright, Merlin. I believe I can get Morgana to help. You seem to have your hands full here."

"Arthur," Merlin said, grinning slightly, "You and I both know you hate going to Morgana. Tell me what it is you need and when Gaius returns I will help."

"Alright, you've convinced me, Merlin." He sat down on the bench, and stared into the far corner of the room. "I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamt that you and I were hunting and this horrible creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a horse came from out of nowhere. It struck me to the ground and knocked me out, then turned to you. This is where it troubled me. You used magic to defeat the beast, but you were seen. My father found out and you were put in jail, sentenced to death. I'm worried, Merlin. I've never had a dream that vivid before. And this one has got me to thinking over a few things that have recently passed." Merlin cringed inwardly. He knew what was coming, and he hoped that he was wrong. He wasn't sure he could actually tell Arthur that he was a warlock, that he had saved Arthur's life all those times, and with magic.

"That is a strange dream, Arthur. I wouldn't read too much into it though. Gaius says that when we dream we tend to take things from our everyday lives and incorporate them into our dreams. Arthur looked thoughtful at this.

"I guess you're right, Merlin. Although, that doesn't quite explain the creature in my dream. I've never seen a creature like it before in my life."

"You should ask Gaius about it when he comes back. Unless you'd rather I looked for it. There are a lot of books to go through though."

"Don't be stupid. You probably couldn't find it if you tried. I'll speak to Gaius about this later. I'm sure he can tell me what it is. In the mean time, I have some target practice I need to do. See you tomorrow, Merlin." Arthur made to leave, but stopped when Lily shifted on the bed, then sat straight up and screamed. "Merlin, do something."

Merlin moved swiftly back to the side of the bed and put one hand on each of the girl's shoulders. "Lily," he said. She apparently didn't hear him as she was still screaming.

"Nooo! Nooo! Not him. Please don't kill him." Merlin was horrified so he tried calling her name louder. "Lily! Lily, look at me! It's Merlin!" It wasn't working. The girl just kept screaming. "No, don't kill him. Take me instead. I willingly give my life for his. Just don't kill Merlin. Please. I'm begging you. Arthur! Arthur help! She's going to kill Merlin!" Merlin looked taken aback by what she had just said, and stood back. He didn't know what else to do. The girl began to reach out toward him. "Merlin!" He moved closer to the bed again. She tangled her hands into his shirt. "Arthur's hurt. He killed her. He killed the witch. Help him! He saved your life. Hurry! Merlin, look out! Noooo!"

Lily slumped back down onto the bed, letting go of his shirt. Then her eyes fluttered open and as she looked at him, she burst into tears. He pulled her to him trying to comfort her. "It was horrible, Merlin. I've never had a dream like that before. It was so vivid. It almost seemed real." Arthur felt like he was imposing, so he began to sneak toward the door, but in his haste, he kicked a bucket over. The crash drew Lily's attention to him.

"Merlin, is that…?"

"Arthur Pendragon, crowned prince of Camelot," Merlin replied.

"Prince? But I thought he was king and married to Guinevere?"

"Gwen? No, Gwen is a maidservant. There is no way she could be queen. Not that she would anyway." Merlin stated this with confidence, as he had had the information from Gwen herself a long time ago. Now that Merlin thought about it, it seemed like that night they had had that conversation had been years ago, but it was only months in reality. So much had happened since then, that timed seemed to have just flown by.

"Oi, Merlin, that was harsh." Merlin had almost forgotten about Arthur.

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but it's true. Gwen and I were talking about Morgana and she made the statement that some people were just born to be queen. Then she said not that she would want to be Morgana. I do believe her exact words were, "who would want to marry Arthur?" A devious smile appeared on his lips as he said this, and he could see the prince blush with embarrassment.

"Well," Arthur replied, "I'll just have to show her. Won't I, Merlin?" Merlin's smile disappeared as he realized his mistake in revealing that bit of information. Truth was, he had suspected that Gwen had a secret liking for Arthur, but she would never admit to it. Maybe he had just started something between the two. He thought it would be nice to see Gwen happily settled, and having Arthur marry someone with a heart like Gwen's would do the prince some good as well.

"What are you going to do, sire?"

"I'm not going to tell you, Merlin. You'll have the whole kingdom knowing about it in no time. Well I must be off. I've got a maidservant to find. Mi'lady," he said as he bowed to Lily. Then he turned on his heel and walked briskly out of the room. Merlin looked back at Lily and saw she was grinning at him.

"Gwen is going to kill you for telling him that. You know that don't you?" The warlock gulped and dropped his head in defeat.

"Yeah, and I've seen her handle a blade before. Let's just say if she comes at me with one, I'm a goner." The two laughed at his revelation, and Lily began to feel like she was going to enjoy her stay in Camelot.

Miles away, in a dark, musty cave, a sorceress by the name of Namira stood over the scrying pool her sister used to use and watched the scene play out before her. She smiled triumphantly. _That's right, child. Get close to him. Your betrayal will be all the worse. He will be heartbroken and then it shall be easy to end his life. I will have my revenge. I will see the end of Merlin._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Are you sure it is she, Gaius?" Uther stopped his pacing and faced the old physician, wonderment was written across his face.

"Yes, sire. She bears the mark of the house of Crestfall. She is of the proper age, as well. I fear, however, that she knows nothing of her family or her heritage."

"Then you shall school her of it. She should know about her family. It is a pity she was kidnapped when she was just a baby. Her upbringing has probably been influenced by riff raff and she knows nothing about the dealings of the court. It really is a shame, but we must try to undo the harm done by her upbringing. She shall stay as a guest here in the palace until her parents arrive and they shall decide whether she will stay or go. The Crestfalls have always been loyal to me, so it is only proper that their daughter should always be welcome here at the palace. I shall write Lord and Lady Crestfall in the morning and inform them of their daughter's return."

"Yes, my lord." Gaius bowed and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Gaius," Uther said, causing the physician to turn back around. "Tell your ward to get the girl in a decent room tonight."

Gaius bowed again, "Certainly, sire." Then he turned and exited the throne room.

When Gaius reached his chambers, he arrived to the sound of laughter. Not wanting to interrupt, and partly curious about what the girl was so enthused, he stood outside the door and listened as Merlin talked.

"And I dropped the spear, accidentally of course, and he says to me, 'Do you have any natural gifts, Merlin?' Of course I immediately said no, but then I said, 'Let me think…I'm not naturally rude or insensitive.' Then he says, 'No, just naturally irritating.'"

Lily laughed again. Merlin was hilarious to her. He most definitely was not the serious, almost dangerous looking man that the pictures she had seen in literature depicted. In fact, he made her feel like she belonged. In just the two hours she had spent with him, she felt like the loner persona she had possessed in her own time had evaporated. Lily was roused from her thoughts as Merlin began to speak again. "Then the Questing Beast came from out of nowhere. We all took off running and headed back toward the castle. Of course, I tripped on a root and fell flat on my face, but Arthur and Sir Bedivere stopped and pulled me to my feet. Arthur and I escaped, but Sir Bedivere was killed by the Questing Beast. And still, Uther made us go back out after it and Arthur got bitten. I had to go to…"

The door opened, cutting Merlin off before he could mention what had happened with Nimueh. Gaius shuffled into the room, shut the door behind him, and looked up at his ward with a glare that told Merlin he was in trouble, before turning to face Lily, who greeted him calmly and warmly.

"What did Uther say, Gaius?" Merlin had been awaiting Gaius' return so he could tell him about Lily's dream, and to hear what the king had said about the girl. Gaius sat down on the bench by the table and faced the young girl and warlock.

"He is writing to your parents tonight, and he wishes you to stay in one of the palace rooms while awaiting their arrival."

"My parents? I never knew who they were." Lily was stunned by this admission of the old physician's. _How can I have parents here? It's not possible. I don't even belong in this time._ These ideas ran across her thoughts, yet she truly felt the last one was a lie. She felt like she belonged here better than in the future. The feeling seemed like she was finally coming home.

"That is why he has asked me to school you about your family and their history," Gaius spoke again and roused her from her thoughts. "But Uther requested, Merlin, that you get her into a decent room tonight. He was extremely adamant that she stays in the palace."

"I'll set her up a room. The one next to Morgana is empty." He stood up and made to leave, but Lily grasped his shirt sleeve.

"I don't want to stay in any of the palace rooms. I wish to stay here." She stood and put her arm through Merlin's and faced Gaius, "I'd feel safer if I were to stay close to Merlin." Gaius raised his eyebrows in shock and Merlin was just purely astonished. Lily noticed their reactions and sensed that her statement must slightly rash. "He did save my life after all," she added in the hope that the words would clear up any misunderstanding. The two men relaxed a little at her last statement and Gaius looked thoughtful for a moment.

"The king will not be pleased that you are refusing his hospitality," he said.

"I have not even met the king, so it would not it seem conceited of me to accept the hospitality of a man whom does not know me. And let us remember that he does not know what I am."

"No, my lady, he does not know, and he must never find out. As someone who has known Uther for many years, I would advise you to accept the offer of staying in the palace and do not speak with anyone other than Merlin and myself of your gifts, for they will get you executed if known."

Lily tensed, straightened her posture and held her head high. "I absolutely refuse to leave the protection of the greatest warlock in history to accept that of a man I have never met." Yet again, the faces of the two men turned to astonishment. "Either Merlin comes with me or I stay here."

"I can see you will not be persuaded otherwise, my lady." He stood up and walked to the door. "I will speak with Uther and see what I can do about allowing Merlin to stay with you. I fear our rooms here would be rather too small to accommodate the three of us."

"It is not all that small by comparison to the dorm I stayed in at the college."

"What's a college?" Merlin was confused. He had never heard of a college before.

"It's a school." When he continued to look baffled, she added, "You know, where you learn math, science, and history so you can get a good education and a good paying job."

"We don't have anything like that in Camelot." Merlin replied. Gaius was staring strangely at Lily, who felt as if he was scrutinizing her. Then Lily remembered something. "Oh, I forgot. Colleges don't exist in this time." That made Gaius stare all the harder. "In this time? Are you trying to tell us that you were living in the future?" The old man's expression changed into one that seemed as if he were bursting with questions. He held them back, however, and instead said, "All this time, you've been missing, no one knowing what happened to you, and you've been in a completely different time. How did you get there?"

"I honestly don't know. The people at the orphanage only told me that they found me wrapped up in a blanket on the doorstep. They never could tell me who my parents were, only that there was a note tucked into the blanket, and a ring on a chain around my neck. I have both with me. Ever since the caretaker of the orphanage gave them to me the first time I asked her about my parents, I have carried them." She opened the pouch that was hanging around her neck that she kept both things in, and pulled out the note first. It was worn after many years of being folded and unfolded. Every time Lily had begun to think of who her family was, she would pull out the note and read it, searching for some clue as to who they were and who she truly was. The note didn't help her and neither did the ring. It was a simple silver band with crescent moons carved all around it. She passed the note to Gaius and watched his expression change as he read each sentence. She didn't have to ask which part he was reading, because Gaius read it aloud so Merlin could hear it as well.

_To the caretaker of Penbrook Orphanage,_

_We ask you to look after this child, for we cannot do so. This decision weighs heavy on our hearts, but we are unable to provide for the needs of our baby. We pray that you will be able to give her the life that we cannot, and hope that she will grow to be strong yet caring. We only wish we could raise her ourselves, but, alas, our situation does not allow us to do so. We trust that you will do everything in your power to find her a proper home with parents who will accept her for who she will become, and not try to change her. We regret that we cannot keep her, for she is our baby, and you may wonder how anyone who truly loves their child can give her up, but we cannot possibly keep her. We fear it would be too dangerous for a child like her to live here and we do not have the means to protect her. We beg of you to give her what we cannot, a safe place to live. _

_With sincere appreciation,_

_The parents of Lillian Isabella Crest_

_P.S. Please give her the ring and this note if she ever asks about us. They will allow her to see that we do love her, but we are not able to provide for her needs._

The two men finished reading, and Gaius folded the note up gently and handed it back to her. She slid it back into the pouch and pulled out the ring. "Here…here is the ring." Her voice cracked as she spoke and she attempted to fight the tears back that were threatening to fall, but as she handed the physician the ring, he noticed the tears sliding down her cheeks. Merlin noticed too. He hugged her as she gave up trying to fight the stubborn tears, and tried to soothe her as her body was racked by sobs. Her knees gave out, but Merlin held her firm and steady. After a moment, her sobbing began to cease, and she regained her composure. Merlin let go of her and helped her to sit on the bench.

"Are you alright, now, my lady?" She could tell he was genuinely concerned about her, and that he was truly sorry about her past. He could tell she had had a rough life.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Thank you. I'm sorry. I haven't broken down like that in years. I guess everything is finally taking its toll on me." She turned to Gaius, "Do you think Uther will let Merlin stay with me? I will talk to him myself if I have to, but I'd rather not if I can avoid it."

"I will do all that I can to convince him that it would be for the best to let Merlin stay with you. Although, I do not think he will be able to stay in the same room. That is not looked upon kindly here. I do not know how things are in the future, but in this era, we do not allow men and women to share a room unless they are married."

"I understand, Gaius. I would just feel safer if he were close to me. If the legends are true about your powers, Merlin, you are more able to protect me than any of Uther's guards, knights or even his own son."

"Well, he's been keeping Arthur alive all this time," Gaius said. "I'm sure he would have no problem protecting you from anything that might cause you harm. Unless you come down with a cold, that is. He's horrible with science. He knows absolutely nothing about being a physician." Merlin scowled at the old man, and Lily laughed. Laughing made her feel better about her situation. "Well, I'll go see Uther, now and see what I can do. Merlin, why don't you and Lady Lillian go see Morgana? And take this potion with you. Poor girl is still having nightmares. I haven't quite figured out how to keep that from happening." He looked at Lily as if hoping she would tell him how it was done in the future.

"That's something that has never been stopped. Believe me, if they had come up with something to rid you of nightmares, I would have bought tons of the stuff. Although, the Native Americans use what they call dream catchers to ward off bad dreams. I could make one for Morgana and I know a spell to reinforce it. We could see if that helps. It never did with me, but it doesn't hurt to try."

"That's an excellent idea, my lady. I'm willing to try anything at this point. The poor dear looks as though she may die from exhaustion. She hardly gets any sleep anymore. Well, we all best be off." Gaius headed went out the door, and Merlin and Lily followed him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What do you mean she won't accept my hospitality unless the boy stays somewhere near her?" Uther Pendragon was fuming at the thought of Lily asking for Merlin to be put in a room near her. _He's a servant for God sakes!_

"Apparently, the child has formed some kind of attachment to Merlin. He did save her life, sire." Gaius was trying to make the king understand that it was not all that bad of an idea for Merlin to sleep in a palace room near the Lady Lillian.

"He's a servant, Gaius. Saving her life does not grant him annuities above the other servants."

"Perhaps it's time you promoted him."

"To what, Gaius? He has not proven himself to be worthy of any kind of promotion. Sometimes I wonder if he even has a brain."

"I have been watching him most closely, sire. He and Arthur have a bond similar to that which you and I have. They keep each other in check. They question each other's motives. They advise one another, and they have saved each other's lives several times. I recommend you make him Arthur's advisor."

"Advisor? To Arthur? Gaius, have you completely lost your mind? He doesn't know a thing about being an advisor to the crowned prince of Camelot."

"Neither did I, when I became your advisor. Arthur already trusts Merlin enough to listen to his opinion. If you do not grant him this position now, Arthur will only do it in a matter of time. Need I remind you that Merlin warned Arthur that Valiant was using magic in the tournament? Arthur listened to him then, and he was right. And then there was the poisoned goblet. He was right about that too. He was also right about Guenivere not being a sorceress." Uther thought on these pieces of information for a moment. Things were starting to come together in his mind. The reason Arthur went against him to save Merlin's life when he drank the poison, why Arthur went to help Merlin's home village when it was under attack by ruffians, why Arthur trusted his servant so much as to believe him about Valiant. It was all because a friendship had grown between them, just as one had grown between Gaius and himself years ago. "Arthur has already asked me to promote him. Several times, as a matter of fact. Very well," Uther said, finally coming to a decision. "I shall promote the boy today, and he shall be moved from your chambers to a room near Arthur's and the Lady Lillian shall stay in a room next to his."

Merlin and Lily entered Gaius' chambers after having had a wonderful visit with Morgana and Gwen. The three ladies got along well with each other, and Gwen and Morgana were both looking forward to Lily staying in the palace. They would be able to dine together and get to know one another better. Merlin was glad that Lily had not mentioned anything to the others about her being from the future. _That fact,_ he thought, _definitely says she has encountered magic. But, it is a magic that I do not know or have ever seen._

Gaius was waiting for them when they returned. He was pacing around the room, impatient for them to come through the door. When they did come through the door, Gaius was still pacing. Merlin knew something was up, because Gaius never paced unless something was either wrong or he was having to wait.

"Gaius, what's going on?"

"Oh, thank God you're back. I've talked to Uther."

"What did he say?" Lily was anxious to hear what decision the king had come to.

"He says he wants to see Merlin immediately. He specifically told me the moment you come back here, to bring you both to the throne room. But he wants to talk specifically to Merlin." Gaius knew that he was putting them both in a panic by not letting onto what was really going on, but he wanted this promotion to be a surprise.

"Oh, no. He's not putting me in the stocks again is he?" Merlin didn't like being put in the stocks. It seemed funny to him that people could get so much enjoyment from throwing rotten fruit at the same person. You would think the novelty would wear off after a while.

"Don't be daft, Merlin. You haven't done anything worth being put into the stocks, unless you took the blame for Arthur again. You haven't, have you?"

"Erm…no. Not recently."

"Well then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. He just probably wants to commend you for saving Lady Lillian's life. Now let's go. Wouldn't want to keep Uther waiting any longer."

They left Gaius' chambers for the second time that day and headed toward the throne room. To Merlin, the walk seemed like it took about half the time than usual, and when they approached, the guards opened the doors and they walked in to see a room full of people. It reminded Merlin of the time Arthur had requested an audience to expose Valiant for what he was. The entire court was present. They walked up to where Uther was standing, Arthur next to him, and bowed to both.

"Merlin, I have summoned you here, because it has been brought to my attention that you and Arthur have become excellent friends, and on several occasions, saved each other's lives. And you both trust each other with your lives. This is why I have decided to promote you, Merlin. As of this moment, you are no longer Prince Arthur's manservant. You are now his confidant, his friend. I award you the position of Prince Arthur's advisor. You have shown that you are loyal to him, and that you will not steer him in the wrong direction. You have never lied to him, and he trusts you, which is the most important trait that an advisor needs. I hope we will see great things come to fruition from our prince and from you."

The people of the court began to clap, but Merlin looked to Arthur, who looked stunned, but smiled at his friend. Merlin smiled back and then looked to Gaius, who also smiled at him, but Merlin gave him a look that said he knew that Gaius knew what this was about. The old physician only shrugged, innocently. Arthur leaned toward his father and spoke to him. Then Uther raised his hand to silence the court and said, "At the request of our prince, I declare a feast in honor of Merlin's promotion." There was more clapping and when everyone else left, Arthur came to where Merlin was still standing, stunned.

"How on earth did you ever get my father to promote you? I've been trying to talk him into it for about a month now."

"I didn't do it. It must have finally sunk into his brain that you weren't going to leave him alone until he did." They laughed.

"Yeah, I can be pretty stubborn at times."

"And a prat, but a royal one all the same."

"Don't let my father hear you call me that. He might drop you back down to being my servant again."

"I don't think he will," Gaius said, coming up to the two men. "I spoke with Uther earlier today about it. I guess it was yours and my own efforts together that finally convinced him to do it, sire."

"Merlin, I'm not going to miss you as my servant. It's been terrible, really. You were without doubt the worst servant I ever had…but I think you'll make a fair advisor. You've never steered me wrong before. And now your word counts for more than what it did when you were a servant. So if anymore knights come to tournaments using magic and you find out about it, you tell me immediately and we can take it to my father. He should listen now."

"I think he would have listened after the first time, whether I was your advisor or not."

"No doubt. Well, I should be off to get ready for the feast. As should you."

"That's right. This will be the first feast I get to attend as a guest and not a servant. What am I going to wear?"

"Don't worry about that, Merlin," Gaius said, as Arthur walked off. They turned and left the throne room. Merlin watched as Lily left with Morgana and Gwen. "Uther has you all set up. The Lady Lillian is now in the room next to Arthur's and you are in the one next to hers. I set it up that way. I figured she would prefer being in between you two as you both can protect her better that way. You have a whole new wardrobe in your room now."

"I'm going to be staying in the palace? But Gaius, what are you going to do without me?"

"The same thing I did before you came. Honestly, Merlin. Don't think I can't handle things on my own. I did just fine without you before. It's time you moved on. This way, you can spend more time worrying about your destiny. Although, I do want you to take that book I gave you with you. You may never know when you might need it. Just make sure you keep it hidden."

"I know, Gaius," he said, as they approached the room that was to be Merlin's. Gaius left him at the door and continued to his own chambers. Merlin entered his new home and looked around. The rooms were just as nice as both Morgana's and Arthur's. He walked over to the wardrobe and opened the doors. "This must be a joke," he said to himself. Inside the wardrobe were shirts similar to the ones he already owned; only made by a more skilled craftsman than his mother, and jackets similar to Arthur's. He was not sure what to choose. Everything was of better quality than he had ever owned. He removed all of the clothing from the wardrobe and threw them all upon the bed. It wasn't so much a decision of what matched, but that of which he wanted to wear. He picked up a pair of brown pants and laid them aside as his selection. A moment later and he had chosen a red tunic, and turned to the jackets. He was holding up a brown and a blue trying to decide between the two, when there was a knock on his door.

Glad to take a break, Merlin went to the door, still clutching the jackets, and opened it to reveal Lily on the other side. "Hey, Merlin. Just wanted to see if you needed any help deciding what to wear. I've already chosen my dress. It's pure gorgeous, but I can't let you see it yet. It's a surprise." She stopped and stared at the jackets in his hands before bursting out in laughter. Merlin stared perplexed at the girl in front of him. "What is so funny," he asked. "Nothing," she said regaining her composure. "It's just that you seem to be having some problems deciding what to wear. I see you've chosen a red shirt and brown pants. That's a good combination. Which jacket were you planning on wearing?"

"Well, I was leaning more toward the blue…"

"OH NO!!!" she shouted, startling Merlin. "You absolutely cannot wear that blue jacket with this! You would be the laughing stock of the court. Here let me help." She snatched the jackets out of his hands and turned to his wardrobe. Lily rummaged through his clothing for only a moment before tossing a golden colored shirt, a pair of brown trousers, and a brown jacket at him. "There now try that on for me so I can see what it looks like. It's much easier to tell if it works with your complexion if you have it on."

Merlin retreated behind the screen and changed quickly, before the crazy girl could throw any other clothes at him. It didn't take him long to change before he was standing in front of Lily. She scrutinized him for a moment, then deciding everything was in perfect order, said, "Okay, now for shoes." She looked back to the wardrobe in hopes of finding more than just boots there, but was unsuccessful. "Drats! Of course all there would be in here is boots," she said under her breath. Merlin did not hear her, as he was a little entranced with looking at himself in the mirror. He never imagined that he would ever were clothes of that quality in his life. Everything was new, yet familiar, because he had handled Arthur's clothing, which was made of the same materials. "Hello! Earth to Merlin!!" Merlin turned to see Lily looking slightly angry at the fact that he had not been listening to her. "Oh, sorry, my lady." "I was saying, Merlin," she started as she began to come closer to him, "that you'll just have to wear these brown boots, even if they are slightly darker than the brown of your clothes. But no one will be looking at your feet anyway, so I don't guess it will really…" Her words were cut off when she tripped over a pair of pants lying in the floor that Merlin had left there during his perusal of his new clothing.

Merlin caught her before she could get anywhere near the ground and held her steady. They were standing so close that their faces were only inches apart. His breath smelled like mint leaves, and she drifted away briefly on clouds with the scent. Their eyes met and she saw his up close for the first time since she arrived in Camelot. They were a deep blue, like oceans, and she could see the magical power there behind them. Power that he did not even know he possessed. She looked away, and felt his hand slide under her chin and lifted it up so their eyes met again. She felt it as he leaned forward, or was she the one leaning toward him? She couldn't tell which but at the moment she didn't really care. All she could think about was him. She suddenly realized she wanted to kiss him, wanted to hold him, wanted to be with him always. Then she realized their lips were centimeters apart. _This is what I've been missing all my life, this is what I've been longing for. I only want Merlin, to be with him for the rest of my life. Oh, Merlin, can you feel this feeling too? Can you see that.._ "I love you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

**I know it seems like things are moving a little fast, but don't get ahead of me. I am going in a slightly different direction than it seems. And yes, Lily does have strong feelings for Merlin, but she isn't sure why. And thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate them.**

Lily took a step back and looked up at the warlock. Then they both looked at the door, a man and woman were speaking on the other side of it. It was a man's voice that had shouted a moment ago and now a woman was speaking, "What…what did you say?"

"Guinevere, I said I love you." Merlin and Lily's eyes both went wide. "That's Arthur speaking!" They said this simultaneously and both bolted toward the door to listen to the conversation occurring on the other side of the thick wood. Lily leaned against the hard door and Merlin leaned next to her, both had their ears pressed against the scratched surface. "That's impossible, sire. You know there can never be anything between us. It's against the law. No prince of Camelot can ever be with a servant. You are meant to be with someone of noble birth, sire. Not with a lowly servant like myself."

"But…Guinevere…"

"Sire, I cannot possibly allow you to trouble yourself with me. Your father will never hear of it. You will be a great king someday, but it will not be me by your side. No, you will marry someone worthy of your notice. Perhaps the Lady Morgana or the Lady Lillian would suit you better than I."

"I should hope not," Arthur said quietly, so that all three listeners had to strain to hear him. "Morgana is like a sister to me and I don't even know the Lady Lillian at all. No, Gwen, it's you who has captured my heart, and I don't you to let it go. Nor do I want to give it to anyone else." Merlin and Lily heard him take a step forward, and Lily dropped down to the keyhole to see what was going on. She watched as the young prince placed his hands on the maidservant's shoulders, then move one hand up to stroke her face. Gwen, by instinct tilted her head into his hand so that it cupped her face, and placed her own hand on top of Arthur's. Arthur moved closer to Gwen until their faces were mere inches apart. Then he leaned in further to close the gap between their lips. Gwen's arms acted of their own volition as they twined around Arthur's neck, deepening the kiss, and Lily, having seen enough, stood up and faced Merlin.

"What are they doing," he whispered.

"They're kissing.," she replied, and again realized just how close Merlin was standing to her. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, and the smell of mint leaves filled her nostrils again as he exhaled breath. Her heart began to race, and she saw images of herself kissing Merlin, then of them lying in bed together out of breath after making love. She felt dizzy all of a sudden and swayed on the spot. Merlin's hands went out and steadied her. _Why am I thinking of him this way? I barely even know him. Sure I know his legends, but as a person I have no idea who he is. But, I can't deny this feeling. If I don't act on it I feel like I will burst._

"Lily? Are you okay?" She looked up at Merlin and smiled. He always seemed to be concerned with everyone else's well being. "Yes, I was just thinking about something." She went to move away from the door, but lost her footing, and toppled into Merlin, sending them both crashing onto the floor, her landing on top of him. "Sorry," she said. "No, no. The pleasures all mine," he replied. They looked into each others eyes for a moment and Lily was possessed by that strange urge yet again that she needed to be with Merlin. She lowered her head; so that her face was so close to Merlin's that she could see every detail on his skin. She was aware once more that their lips were centimeters apart and this time she was going to close the gap. The door opened behind them and Arthur's voice rang through the room. "What the hell is…oh…I see. Well…*cough*…Merlin. I had no idea that…"

"Oh, no, sire, it's not what it looks like," Lily said embarrassed as she pulled herself off Merlin, her cheeks flushing a brilliant scarlet. "You see, I tripped and Merlin just so happened to be in the way and when I fell, I took him with me." She could tell the prince was bemused by her story and he confirmed her belief when he said, "Well, Merlin, it looks as though we have finally found someone more clumsy than you. And she's nobility. I don't think I have ever met a noble who could trip over their own feet."

"That's because she wasn't raised into nobility, sire." Leave it to Merlin to come to her rescue…again.

"Ah, yes, I remember. I've been meaning to ask you, my lady, where have you been all these years?"

"Arthur, do you really think now is the best time to be questioning her. The feast will be starting soon and we all need to get ready."

"You know, Merlin, your right. I do have to make sure all the preparations are being done and have to get ready myself." He turned and left the room. Merlin glanced at Lily and gave a sigh of relief, but she was busy contemplating Arthur's behavior. Apparently, the kiss he and Gwen had shared muddled his brain a little. "From the way you talk about Arthur's normal behavior, Merlin, that was a little off. I think he was a little distracted."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, my lady. He did seem a little strange. The way he just accepted my suggestion that we should all get ready for the feast. He never accepts that sort of thing so quickly."

"Hmm…I guess we will have to keep an eye on him and make sure he is okay. Love is a crazy feeling. It makes us behave in ways we never thought possible of ourselves." Lily turned to leave but heard Merlin laughing behind her. "What is so funny?" She placed her hands on her hips in mock exasperation. "Nothing. I just didn't have you pegged for the proverbial type. You sounded just like Gaius for a moment there."

"Humpf…glad I amuse you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get dressed for the feast." She stomped her way out of the room and ran straight into Gwen and Morgana, who had been looking for her. "Ah, Lady Lillian, you are just the person we were looking for," Gwen said.

"Please, call me Lily, I'm not too familiar with being called Lady or Lillian. I didn't even know I was of noble birth until today. It's been quite a shock, but I think I'm handling it fairly well."

"Indeed, my lad…sorry Lily."

"I need your help, Lily," Morgana started. "All the knights will be at the feast tonight and I need some help deciding what to wear. You will help me won't you? I usually ask Gwen for these things but I need two opinions for tonight."

"Of course I'll help. Come on let's see what you've got to choose from."

Namira looked into the pool at the events occurring in Camelot and smiled a devilishly. _So Arthur is in love with a servant girl. This is proving a better situation than I thought. Now to get Merlin to fall for the bait. The child is already half in love with him, all I have to do is wait for him to realize it and fall for her too. Then he will meet his demise. One small spell, that's all it takes to take control of her. Her betrayal will break his poor heart and then I will have my revenge. _She pulled out a large book full of spells and began to flip through the worn pages. She found the one she was looking for and her grin widened. She began to chant: **imperium vestrum ego vadum quod vestri somes ero mei. vos mos operor totus inquam insquequo ego solvo vos vel vestri vita permaneo dies. **

**A/N: I know it's short but I am having a slight case of writer's block. That's why this chapter isn't all that great. I'm still trying to work a few things out in my head about this story, so it's kind of getting hard to figure out what to put down, but don't worry I'm not giving up on it! **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Merlin stood with Arthur, continuously thanking people as they came by to offer their congratulations on his promotion. He was quite tired of speaking to noble after noble, and turned to say something to the prince, but saw that his attention was focused on the entrance. The warlock turned his attention to where Arthur was gazing and saw Morgana and Gwen entering the hall. Morgana was dressed in a breathtaking red, halter style dress that conformed to her figure all too well, the gold beading glinting teasingly in the candlelight that illuminated the hall. All eyes were on the Lady Morgana except for Arthur's, who was staring at Gwen. She too was dressed in a breathtaking dress, proof that she was the best seamstress in the kingdom. It was a brilliant shade of lavender and was adorned with silver along the hem. She had completed the outfit with a silver belt that accentuated the curves of her body. Merlin could not blame Arthur for being so captivated by the sight of the handmaiden, but knew it would not bode well with Uther if he caught his son staring at a servant.

But before Merlin could say anything to the prince, another lady entered the hall, capturing the warlock's attention and not releasing it for one moment. He barely heard Morgana and Gwen as they congratulated him, and all he could muster in reply was a nod of thanks. He didn't think he could speak. It was as if he were no longer in control of his body or mind. Not even realizing what he was doing, he stepped away from Arthur and his other two friends and made his way toward Lily. He could not help but notice that the deep emerald color of her dress made her eyes sparkle and her flaming red hair burn brighter. The garment was lined with swirling patterns of golden thread, reminding Merlin of the way the sun shone on the green leaves of the forest that bordered Camelot.

"Hello, Merlin," she said as soon as he had reached where she was. He inclined his head in acknowledgement, then took her outstretched hand and brought his lips to it, placing a gentle kiss upon the softness of her skin. "My Lady," he said, and watched as a blush crept up her cheeks, and causing his heartbeat to quicken. His mind was plagued with all sorts of images about Lily all throughout the evening. Some of them he knew he should have banished from his mind the moment they entered it, but he didn't seem to have any control on them. They danced together all night and were lucky enough to be seated next to each other at the dining table. Merlin couldn't believe his good luck. They were having such a wonderful time that when the feast was over, it was all too soon for Merlin's taste, but he had the pleasure of escorting her back to her quarters.

"Goodnight, my lady," he said as they stood in front of her door. "If you should need anything, just call for me."

She smiled, "Goodnight, Merlin. Oh and please do not call me 'my lady' anymore. It's too formal. Just call me Lily, like you did before we all knew I was nobility."

"Alright. That shouldn't be too much of a problem for me." He grinned at her, and as he did, she felt as if her heart would melt. She just loved that smile. She didn't realize that she had moved closer to him, but when she did come to her senses, she placed her hand on his cheek. He brought his up and placed it on hers, holding it there for a moment. Then as if he had just come to the decision, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, meaning it to be a brief gesture. To Lily, it felt like a feather brushing across her lips, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her. She wrapped her arms around his neck before he could pull back, and deepened the kiss, her lips parting of their own accord. Merlin was shocked at first by the boldness of her action, and had tensed, as most men do in that particular situation, but soon found himself relaxing and falling deeper into the moment. For some reason beyond his knowledge, it just felt right to him. The way she fit perfectly against him as he held her, the feel of their lips together. It was as if everything was meant to be.

Lily could feel herself disappearing deep into the thoughts that had arisen to the front of her jumbled mind earlier in the day; however, a new image appeared in her mind. She and Merlin were standing together with Arthur, Morgana, Gwen and some other man around Merlin's age who was standing next to Morgana with his arm around her waist. They were all crowded around Lily, looking down at something in her arms. It was a baby. A baby boy, who looked just like Merlin, with his jet black hair, but the eyes were Lily's. There was no denying that fact. The green orbs sparkled, just like her own, in the candlelight. "What did you name him," Gwen asked. Merlin smiled at his friend and answered, "His name is Lukas."

Lily felt a pressure against her mind as if someone were trying to push their way into it. "Let me in child," a female voice echoed in her mind. She felt the pressure again, but pushed back at it. No one was getting into her mind, she just wouldn't allow it. Again, the pressure was there, stronger this time, and Lily pushed back, but the prober was putting up a fight. "I will win, child. Do not fight me." Lily began to feel weak as the pressure increased and then everything went dark.

Lily opened her eyes and wished she hadn't. The sun drifting through the window was almost blinding. She shifted onto her side so she was facing away from the offending rays and blinked in confusion at the figure sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Gaius?"

"Ah…you're awake," the physician smiled.

"Where's Merlin?" The old man's smile faded into a serious frown, causing Lily to have a brief moment of hysteria. "Is he alright? He had better be okay. What happened to him? Gaius, tell me he's okay." She clutched the front of his robes as if she were holding onto the ledge of a cliff.

"My lady," he started, while attempting to break the girl's surprisingly strong grip. "He is perfectly well…well in the scientific sense. The two of you were found lying in the hallway just outside your chambers a week ago and…"

"A week ago?" she interrupted. "I've been asleep for a week?"

"Yes, my lady. But no one seems to understand why. Now, I need to know exactly what happened that night after the two of you left the feast."

Lily contemplated for a moment on whether or not to tell the old man about the wonderful moment they shared that night. She decided she may as well, if it would help to understand what had happened to her and Merlin.

"Well, Merlin escorted me back here. We were talking and then he kissed me…or I kissed him…I don't really remember which it was…"

"Did you experience anything out of the ordinary during that moment?"

"Yes. Everything just felt right about it. I mean, I've kissed guys before, but this was so different. It just felt like it was meant to be…like my entire life was leading up to that one point. Like every bad thing that had happened to me was washed away. It felt like I would be safe and happy forever."

"Hmmm…" Gaius thought on the information for a moment, then asked, "Did you see anything? Did you have any visions?"

"How did you know?"

"The Seer's powers are usually stronger in females. It's rare to find a male Seer. My guess is that you have not experienced this power before coming to Camelot."

"No, I have not."

"May I ask what it is you saw in this vision?" Lily let her thoughts float back to the vision. It came to her in bits and pieces. She saw the baby.

"A child...a boy."

"How old was this child?"

"He was only a baby. About a month old."

"Were the parents in this vision as well?" She pushed harder into her memories and saw two shadowy figures, a woman holding the baby and a man standing next to her with his arm around the woman's waist.

"Yes."

"Who were they?" The faces of the parents would not come into focus.

"I don't…" All of a sudden, it seemed as if the vision were replaying before her eyes. It was as if she were watching a movie on television. She gasped as the images vanished from her sight, and grasped Gaius' robes once more. "It was me…"

The physician was genuinely confused at Lily's outburst. "What was you," he inquired. He was beginning to worry about this girl.

"The mother…it was me. It's my baby. I saw my child. Lukas." Her red hair fell back, revealing her face, as she looked up at Gaius. She smiled at the physician, the old man who had become a father figure and magical mentor to Merlin. Gaius looked down at her and took a deep breath. "And who was the father, my lady?" He already had a guess of who it was, but he wanted to confirm his theory. "Merlin...Merlin is the father."

"Thank you, my lady. You have been most helpful. I'm still not quite sure what happened to the two of you, but this information will help in my research. I have a hypothesis, but it is yet to be proven true. I will send Gwen to tend to you and prepare you to meet with your parents."

"My parents? They are here?"

"Yes. They arrived early this morning. Now I must go see if Merlin is awake. I hope I am right in thinking that now you are awake he will be as well." He opened the door but Lily called him back. "You will let me know if he's awake, won't you Gaius?"

"Of course, my lady. And you shall be the first to know what caused this as soon as I find out."

"Thank you, Gaius…for everything." The old man nodded and left the room.

Gaius entered Merlin's chambers quietly, so as not to wake up the prince, who was sleeping in the chair next to the warlock's bed. He hadn't left Merlin's side since he and Gwen found Lily and him lying in that hallway. It was quite reasonable, though, seeing as Merlin was Arthur's friend, advisor and confidant. Gaius edged up to the side of the bed that was not occupied by a chair and looked down at the sleeping man. He placed his hand on one of the boy's shoulders and gently shook the sleeping warlock. "Merlin…" he whispered. He was rewarded by a grumble of, "Five more minutes, Gaius. Arthur can wait five minutes for his breakfast, I'm sure."

"Merlin, you're not Arthur's servant anymore, remember."

"Then why are you waking me up at this time in the morning?" Merlin sat up in bed and glared daggers at his adoptive father.

"Because, Merlin, you've been sleeping for a week."

"Have I really? No wonder I feel so refreshed." It was then he noticed Arthur's sleeping form in the chair. "Why is Arthur sleeping in my room? Was I sick?"

"In a way, yes, you were. Merlin, do you remember anything that happened after the feast?" He noticed the warlock's blush, and to save him the embarrassment of having to explain anything he said, "I've already spoken to the Lady Lillian about what happened. She too was asleep for a week. She's already told me about what happened in the hall, but I was wondering one thing…" he dropped his voice to a whisper so the prince could not hear, if he were feigning sleep. "Did you experience the same vision she did?"

"Yes, I did. But it wasn't like it was my own. It was like she was sending it to me through some kind of connection. Gaius, what does this mean? What happened to us that night?"

"I believe, Merlin, that the two of you are soulmates, but we will discuss that later, after the prince has woken and gone." As if on cue, Arthur opened his eyes and looked at Merlin. "You're awake!" He turned to Gaius, "Have you figured out what happened yet, physician?"

"Not yet, sire, but I have my theories. I'm just trying to gather enough evidence that they are right. You will be informed of my findings."

"Good. Well, I'll be off, then. Lady Lillian's parents arrived this morning and father is furious that I wasn't there to greet them. You missed the lecture, Merlin. You sure were lucky to be unconscious for the whole thing."

"No doubt," Merlin replied with a grin. Arthur turned and left the room. Gaius waited a few moments to make sure the prince wouldn't pop back in.

"Now, then, Merlin. There is a belief in the Old Religion that one warlock and one witch from each generation are chosen as soulmates. What that means is that they are destined by the gods to meet, love each other, marry and have children. Usually, the soulmates are the most powerful of that generation. What caused me to believe that you and the Lady Lillian are soulmates is that you share a connection that no other witch and warlock share. The vision for instance. She was not aware of transferring it to you, but when one soulmate has found it's partner, and experiences heightened emotion, they tend to transfer the emotion to their partner, but this can happen with visions and thoughts as well."

"So Lily and I are destined to be together?"

"Yes."

"And the child in her vision, that was our baby?"

"Yes, I do believe his name is Lukas."

"Yeah, it is." Merlin sighed. "Wow, this is strange. I hardly know Lily, and already I'm practically in love with her."

"That's the soulmate principle, Merlin. You can thank the gods of the Old Religion for that." Merlin laughed at Gaius' comment. "I should go tell Lady Lillian what I've found out."

"No, Gaius, let me. Please."

"Very well, but you'd better hurry. She'll be gone to see her parents soon." Merlin stood up as Gaius left the room and began to dress. Once done, he went to Lily's chambers. He was greeted by Gwen, who was tactful enough to leave the room after he entered so they could be alone. Merlin related everything Gaius had told him to her and she was just as shocked as he had been. She didn't know what would happen next, either.

"There is one thing I didn't tell Gaius, and I probably should have, but before the darkness came, someone was trying to get into my mind. I think someone was trying to get control of me, but I fought them off. It was a woman's voice that spoke to me, and she had to be a powerful sorceress to attempt controlling anyone's mind."

"I don't know of any other powerful sorceresses other than Nimueh and she's dead. I killed her."

"Well, we will just have to find out what is going on. Could you tell Gaius about this while I go meet my parents?"

She seemed nervous. "How about I come with you to meet your parents and then we can go see Gaius together and you can tell him about the sorceress."

"Thank you, Merlin. Shall we go?"

Namira cursed to nothing but thin air as she turned page after page of her spell book. _My spell failed. I've never had a spell fail. Something is wrong._ She turned back to the page of the spell she had tried a week ago and read the rest of the page she had disregarded before.

To gain control of a person's mind and take possession of their body, one must have consent to first enter the mind. This is not possible to do with those of the soulmate principle as there is another's say in gaining consent to enter the mind.

_So that's why it didn't work. They are soulmates. Well Nimueh had her suspicions, but I didn't know that the soulmate principle was still in effect. I guess the gods had grand plans for these two, but I will not rest until I've had my revenge. I will find a way to destroy them both if that's what it takes._


End file.
